SECRET 7"- progress

The way I've been creating the sleeve designs so far is to simply draw rough squares in my sketchbook and scamp out the compositions and ideas as they come to me, so i can get a vague idea if things are going to look right or work together within the 7x7 frame. Having set out to make these as illustrative as possible, i'm finding myself actually too scared to commit to hours of sketching and then inking/fine-lining the final artwork incase when it comes to scanning it in and incorporating some digital imagery it looks a mess  - and time really is of the essence at this point, so it looks like the final designs are going to have a decidedly digital feel to them. My slowness and indecision when it comes to analogue methodology is dictating the final outies, once again. As with most of my project work i always think that once i've completed the whole process with the first in a series of images, then the following images will be finished a lot quicker, with minimal faffing. I'm hoping that is the case here, but most of the time i finish one, then find I'm already unhappy with the process or results and end up changing it totally!

As it's meant to be a 'Secret', I've only post up the development work for the record sleeves, will add the finished submissions when the panel have made their decisions on who they're going to exhibit.

IMAGINE - John Lennon

The initial sketches were based around the lines from the song that i'd plucked out as i thought i could create some imagery around them without making it too obvious or cliché looking. My ideas were first working around the words "Nothing to kill, or die for"  - my mind started thinking of various animals that are famous for being hunted/hunting each other, and what it would be like if they had no reason to kill each other, and also no reason to die. Wilderbeast/zebras with Crocs/lions came to mind, and i set about trying to think of some weird looking scenario for them to be in. But it felt like i was trying to be too random, and that i should try to make some sort communication at least. I also took the lines "imagine theres no Heaven" & "no Hell below us.." and took things in a more minimal,shape driven direction. I figured i could compromise with all the digital work if i was to render it with textures and patterns i'd made with my real hands. Was already getting frustrated with myself at the way i was going about the final piece as there is absoulety no illustrated element in these, only designs based on my simple scamps. But at least if I'm doing it this way then there's a chance they'll all be completed in time for the deadline.